From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
The emirs of Deba and Yamaltu emirates councils in Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area (LGA) of Gombe State, Dr. Ahmad Usman Muhammad II and Alhaji Abubakar Ali, have applauded the state government, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and other stakeholders for their quick intervention in ensuring a violence-free harvest season.
The farmers-herders’ crisis has been a major issue in Nigeria, resulting in the loss of lives and properties. Daily Sun reported recently that due to a heightened risk and fear of attacks in Gombe State, many farmers opted for special prayers while others slept in their farms or employed labourers to guard their farms.
This prompted the state government to engage the state command of the NSCDC and other security agencies to protect the farmers and herders and ensure a peaceful and successful harvest in the state. Strategies employed by the state government included the suspension of cattle movement and migration within or through the state during the harvest period, from October 2023 to January 2024.
Government also set up a multisectoral committee to engage all stakeholders, including traditional and religious leaders, as well as the herders’ leaders and other leaders of the various farming communities in the state. While the committee engaged in sensitization, the commandant of the NSCDC in Gombe, Muahammad Bello Muazu, deployed 299 agro-rangers and other personnel of the corps to enforce the restriction of cattle movement across the 11 LGAs of the state.
However, two months into the expected four-month harvest period, the two emirs in Yamaltu/Deba LGA, one of the LGAs prone to farmers-herders clashes in Gombe State, have confirmed that the season has so far been peaceful, appreciating the efforts of the state’s authorities. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Daily Sun in his palace, the emir of Deba, Dr. Ahmad Usman Muhammad II, stated that intervention by the state government in 2023 was more successful, unlike the previous year when over five deaths were recorded in several clashes between the farmers and herders in the area.
He noted that the efforts of all stakeholders involved, especially the NSCDC, in quick response to the perceived crisis were commendable: “You have all done well, and we are grateful for your efforts in making this harvest season peaceful and safe for all.”
He equally commended the herders and their leaders for lending a listening ear to the authorities and choosing the path of peace.
While urging the stakeholders to sustain the tempo and remain committed to peaceful coexistence to the end of the season and beyond, the emir said: “We will keep engaging our district heads and various village and ward heads, youths and other groups to ensure that we live in peace with each other.”
In a separate interview, in his palace the emir of Yamaltu, Alhaji Abubakar Ali, stated that the success of this year’s harvest season, which is about 90 percent completed in his area, was a testament to the state government’s commitment to peace and development of the state. He added that the success recorded has shown that, with proper intervention and collaboration between stakeholders, the issue of farmers-herders’ crisis could be tackled effectively.
He said: “It is essential to continue this collaboration and work towards a peaceful and safe environment for farmers and herders who are contributing immensely to our food security. Working for peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders is not only saving lives but also adding to the effort of attaining food security in the society.
“States and federal government as well as other stakeholders should continue to prioritize the issue of farmers/herders conflict and work towards finding a lasting solution.”
According to him, with a sustained effort by all actors towards peace and harmony as so far recorded in Gombe state, the future of agriculture in Nigeria is bright.
Meanwhile, the divisional officer (DO) in charge of the NSCDC office in Yamaltu/Deba LGA, Alice Pisagih, revealed that all stakeholders, especially the farmers and herders in the area, have been cooperative with the peace message of the corps and other security agencies: “The herders were ordered to suspend all migration and moving around, until after the harvest period, and the farmers were also warned not to burn the remnant and other leftovers of their farm produce and that has been largely adhered to,” she told Daily Sun.
She, however, revealed that some herders who refused to comply with the directive were arrested for moving around and destroying some farm produce and were forced to pay for the damage they caused. She said: “Some of the herders arrested paid up to N500,000 to their victims and some that were arrested at the border between Yamaltu/Deba and Akko LGA were charged N3 million by the owners of the farms destroy at night and they peacefully agreed and paid the farmers.”
She added that the resolution that led to the payment of the compensation was at the instance of the Departmental Security Officer (DSO) of the two LGAs and farmers and herders involved agreed to the amount paid. She said: “They were only encouraged to peacefully resolve the issue and be fair to each other, and after they agreed on the amount we made sure that all of them were satisfied and okay with the agreement reached.”
Speaking on the ongoing operation of the NSCDC in Gombe State, the state commandant, Muhammad Bello Muazu, stated that the Agro Ranger was a special unit established by the corps to address the recurring farmers-herders conflict in the country. He told Daily Sun that the officers posted to the unit were trained to serve as mediators in conflicts and other issues between farmers and herders across the country.
He explained that in Gombe State the agro-rangers were deployed to the 11 LGAs of the state to carry out their assigned duties and to also enforce the state government’s order suspending cattle movement and migration. He said: “The operation has so far recorded a significant milestone in ensuring a violence-free harvest season in the state and the efforts of the agro-rangers are curbing the farmers/herders’ crisis.
“We posted the officers to border communities and cattle routes in the LGAs of the state, we also post some to Mosques and Churches to sensitize the people on the need to embrace peace. Our target is not just on the harvest period, we are also urging the communities to embrace and live in peace with one another.”
Muazu disclosed that he is embarking on a tour to various posts and locations across the state to assess the level of successes recorded and other challenges being experienced. “During the visit, I would be engaging the traditional rulers to further cement the success achieved,” he said.
The commandant also commended the government and other stakeholders for contributing to the peace being experienced in the state. He also urged stakeholders involved, especially traditional and religious leaders in the state to build on the success and work towards a sustainable and peaceful coexistence between farmers/herders and other groups across the country.